Subscribe now

Health

Fasting diets are not better than calorie counting for weight loss

Diets that involve intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating have become popular in recent years, but it seems they help people lose weight simply by eating less

By Clare Wilson

26 June 2023

What you eat seems to matter more than when you eat it

Evgeniia Siiankovskaia/Getty Images

Eating only within an eight-hour window during the day works about as well as calorie counting for weight loss, a one-year trial has found. The results suggest that fasting diets work simply by causing people to eat less overall, says Krista Varady at the University of Illinois Chicago, rather than offering any specific weight-loss benefits.

Fasting diets, also sometimes called intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating, have grown in popularity in recent years as an alternative way to lose…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

View introductory offers

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 2nd of July 2024.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account